As for the fouling situation, you also need to see the problem in the players' eyes. These guys are playing and they are playing tough. It's not like they half asses go out there and just throw the ball up. Now, in the intensity of the game, someone on the other team drives in and you get called for the foul. You didn't like the call, but there's nothing you can do about it.

Later, it's your turn to drive in, you go and miss and get bumped, brushed, hit, tapped, whatever you want to call it. You feel like it was not much different than the foul that got called on you not too long ago and so yes, you complain. How can you not? You have to remember that we are just spectators and while it may not look like a guy was really fouled, the players themselves might have felt something different. The pressure, the intensity, and the excitement of the game will surely cloud plenty of players' judgement of if they were really fouled. And no, you can't really make an argument about players in the past not complaining as much because fouls were much much more lenient back then.

This type of complaining obviously doesn't jsut happen in basketball. Look at the NFL where receivers are now CONSTANTLY looking for passing interference flags since the rules became tighter. I'm sure plenty of soccer players complain about yellow cards.

Now of course, not every foul is like that, but I can imagine a good chunk of the foul situation is.

I tend to believe that Pierce was being a sissy and didn't hurt his knee as bad as he made it seem. IMO he was going for the sympathy. Listen to his interview after the game, he says something like this, " When I got back to the locker room I realized that I could put weight on it and move around so I taped it up and came back out ".....surely if he would have stopped crying and flailing around he would have realized he could stand on it and move while he was still on the court. The guy was actually crying. IMO he was looking for the sympathy and recognition that he had toughed it out. If he wouldn't have made a scene about it he wouldn't have got the heroes treatment and praise for " gutting it out ".

I have blown my knee out and I didn't cry. This guy actually freaking cried. I shredded my cartlidge so bad that they removed all of the cartlidge in my left knee AND I tore my ACL AND MCL. I have had surgery on it several times actually because its so shot out. My point is, I DIDN'T CRY and I actually injured myself, he maybe has a sprain.

My point as far as drawing fouls is that its absolutely ruining the integrity and flow of the game. I understand trying to get an edge but you can't tell me its neccesary to bitch about every single time somebody brushes against them. The ball doesn't even make it down the court several consecutive times between fouls. It's way too extreme.

I don't mean to sound like I'm being a dick to you kds, its just that I'm passionate about my distaste for the modern NBA era. I have decided that I will never again watch the sport because the way they play the game now disgusts me.

I feel the same as you for the most part, except I believe the whole crying thing might have had something to do with being at the NBA finals, and for all he knew, he might be done for the series. He may have been more worried about a possible injury that might affect his ability to perform and not necessarily crying in pain. I don't like defending these guys because I'm about as impassionate about modern basketball as you might be, but they're definitely athletes nonetheless, which I have to respect.

As soon as the stop allowing the 4-5-6 travel to superstars ill start caring again. Not to memtion Yao gets raped every night and gets maybe 1/8 of the calls. Yet if Kobe or LJ gets a slight touch its a foul. i could go on.

Biggest shame is marketing and its a main reason of it all ... Look at Beckham , there are tons and tons of better player but he sells and gets like 10000000000$ a year .. Not Fair at allbut like 2pac would say but hey thats the way it is